Star-in-Waiting Paige Bueckers Taken by Dallas with No 1 Pick in Wnba Draft

Paige Bueckers became the latest uconn standout to go first overall in the wnba draft on Monday night as the Dallas wings Selected the 23-year-old Guard Before Several Hunred Spectators at the Shed in New York City.

Her selection capped a dominant final season at connecticut and marked the start of an eagerly anticipated professional career. Bueckers helmed the huskies to A Drought-Busting 12th National Championship Eight days ago and become the sixth uconn player to be drafted no 1, joining Sue bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Tina Charles and Breanna Stewart.

“You don’t ever want to assume anything in life,” Bueckers said after taking the stage. “It’s a fresh start and we’re all ready to do something special.”

Bueckers’ Journey to Monday Night was Defined by Both Early Accolades and Extended Adversity. She won the naismith trophy as the nation’s top college player as a freshman but missed significant time in her sophomore year due to a knee injury before sitting out the entire 2022–23 Season after Tearing Her anterior cruciate ligament. The injuries delayed but did not derail her rise. She returned for the 2024–25 Season to average 22.3 Points per game and lead uconn to an unbreaten postseason run.

“Just an overwhelming sense of gratitude, it’s super-surreal just being here,” she said Monday. “All their hard work helped me get to this stage. I didnt do it alone – it took a village.”

Bueckers’ Brand Presence Has Grown Alongside Her Basketball Career. She became the first college basketball player to have a nike sneaker named after her and holds a multi-year endorsement deal with gatorade.

She described her path to the draft as “a story of resilience, of gratitude, or adversity, or overcoming adversity”, and called the moment the full fillment of a dream first imagined at age five.

The Wings, who finished 9–31 last season, will look to build around Bueckers as a two-way playmaker known for her efficiency and court awareness.

Seattle selected French Teenager Dominique Malonga with the no 2 pick. The 6ft 6in Center Helped France Win Silver at the Paris Olympics and was one of the youngest players in the draft.

“It’s amazing to me,” Malonga said. “I’m so happy to represent France. Not only France, but cameroon and Congo. I’m a multicultural person. I will work very hard to fit in this league, because I know it’s gonna be tough.”

The Washington Mystics had three of the next four selections and chose notre Dame Guard Sonia Citron, Southern California Forward Kiki Iriafen and Kentucky Point Guard Georgia Amoore.

Citron, who stands 6ft 1in, averaged 14.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.7 Assets this season. The no 3 overall pick also is a standout defender.

“I’m going to work hard and keep trying to get better,” citron said. “I have amazing women to learn from in this league. I’m going to continue to play both sides of the ball and be myself.”

The 6ft 3in IriaFen Went fourth overall. She was a third-team all-American this season while averaging 18.0 points and 8.4 rebounds.

“I just bone resilient,” an emotional iriaafen said. “There has been a lot (of ups and downs) in my last season and I just trusted the process.”

Washington used the no 6 pick on Kentucky Point Guard Georgia Amoore, who set a Kentucky Single-Season Record of 213 Assists. She Began Her Career With Four Seasons At Virginia Tech.

The Australian-Born Amoore is used to hearing how short she is at 5ft 6in.

“As lung as people have called me too short, I’ve been working on how to counterattack that,” Amore said. “It’s not a shock to me. I know I have to work in different ways and use my brain a little bit more.”

In between the Picks of IriaFen and Amoore, the Expansion Golden State Valkyries Made their first pick, Choosing Lithuanian Guard Juste Jocyte.

Jocyte, 19, was born in Washington DC but raised in lithuania. The 6ft 1in Guard Averaged 11.9 Points This Past Season for Asvel Feminin in France.

The Connecticut Sun hero Back-to-Back Picks at Nos 7 and 8, Selecting Lsu Forward Anesah Morrow and NC State Guard Saniya Rivers. Morrow, a three-time all-American who played at depaul before transferring to lsu, ranks third in ncaa division I history in Career rebounds and second in double-double. Rivers, a standout defender, recorded 50-plus steals in each of the past three seasons.

At No 9, The Los Angeles Sparks Chose Alabama Forward Sarah Ashlee Barker, A Two-Time All-Sec Selection Known for Her Scoring and Rebounding Versatility.

The Chicago Sky Made Consecutive Picks at 10th and 11th, Selecting Slovenian Forward AJSA Sivka and Tcu Guard Hailey of Lith. Sivka Brings International Experience and Perimeter Size, While of Lith, The 2024 Big 12 Player of the Year, Averaged 17.9 Points and 5.4 Assets this season. She previously played at Louisville and lsu.

Dallas closed the first round at no 12 by selecting NC State Guard Aziaha James, A Dynamic Scorer and All-ACC Performer Who Averaged Over 16 Points per Game.

Las Vegas, the Defending Champions, did not have a first-round selection after the League stripped the team of its pick due to violations related to impermissible player benefits and workplace misconduct involving Dearica Hamby, who now plays for Los Angeles.

The 2025 draft unfolded amid continued momentum for the Wnbafollowing a surge in attendance, viewership and endorsement deals tied to college stars Entering the League. Bueckers’ Arrival Signals Another Significant Chapter in That Growth.

Bueckers had been oarmarked as a future star long before she stepped onto a college court. As Early as Middle School, she Drew National Attention Through Viral Highlight Reels ShowCasing Her Preternatural Court Vision, Creative Passing and Deep Shooting Range in AAU Tournament. Recruiting sites like ESPN HOPGURLZ AND BLUE STAR MEDIA Began ranking her among the top prospects in the country by the time she was in eighth degrees, while comparisons to wnba greats such as bird and taurasi quicly followed.

By The Time She Entered Hopkins High School in Minnesota, she was already considered the top player in the class of 2020 – a status she maintained throughout her prep career before committing to uconn.